Home
by yumi-maki
Summary: In the end, Temari could not leave Suna. And that, in a nutshell, was the perpetual dilemma of their relationship.


**Home**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

**Theme #61 - Myrtle**

In the end, Temari could not leave Suna. And that, in a nutshell, was the perpetual dilemma of their relationship.

It was, in her opinion, to Shikamaru's credit that he never actually asked her to move. However as time went by and things progressed, it was a question they could no longer avoid. And seeing as both of them were fairly straightforward, they didn't bother trying to dance around the issue.

One thing that always angered Temari was the fact that she was always the one expected to move. No one would even think to ask Shikamaru to go to the Sand. Granted, she knew that he couldn't leave - Tsunade, gracious as she was, would never allow a tactical genius like Shikamaru to permanently leave Konoha - even to go to one of their allies.

And so it fell to her.

And she considered it - she really, seriously sat down and thought about leaving the country of her birth, the country of her forefathers, the place that had made her into the hardened, seasoned, excellent kunoichi that she was and it dd not take her long to realize that she couldn't do it.

She could not leave Suna. Not just because she was a shinobi and that was and would always be where her allegiance lay, not just because she had grown up there and she knew the village like the back of her hand, not just because her brothers lived there (and surely, leaving them would be the most difficult) but simply because Sunagakure was a part of her - it was in her genes, it was in her blood and the thought of leaving there (for _love_ of all things) made her feel like a traitor, like she was abandoning the Sand which, of course, she would never do.

And it wasn't that she didn't love him (she wouldn't even be considering doing this if she didn't) but she simply could not do it - she would never be happy away from her home for so long. And she was sure that he would understand. He had to because he was sensible and level-headed and most of all, a fellow ninja so he should be able to understand how she felt, where she was coming from. He would understand, wouldn't he?

As it was, she needn't have worried. When she told him (and she made no apologies when she did, although she _was_ sorry to disappoint him), his expression remained unchanged - he just watched her for a long moment, glanced down for a second and then replied (in a tone that suggested that this was just the first in a long list of things to say, although he never did elaborate), "I know. I've always known you'd never leave Suna."

She blinked, surprised - that wasn't the reaction she'd expected (although it did explain why he never bothered to actually ask her to move). "So what do we now?"

"What we've always done."

She frowned, "You have a two hundred plus IQ and that's the only solution you could come up with?"

Shikamaru suppressed the urge to roll his eyes, "I don't see you coming up with any alternatives."

She narrowed her eyes at him but kept silent.

Now Shikamaru really did roll his eyes, "Troublesome...Why do you always have to be so sensitive, Temari? (she bristled - her, _sensitive_?) You're leaving tomorrow and we don't know when we'll see each other again - do you really want to spend tonight not speaking to each other?"

She stared at him for a few minutes, her mouth set in a thin line, then she turned away, letting out a loud sigh, "Fine. I'll just stop speaking to you tomorrow instead. Now let's go - I'm hungry."

Shikamaru rolled his eyes again but privately so that she wouldn't notice and get on his case once again, then turned and started walking away. Temari started after him and caught up in no time, "And you're one to call me sensitive, crybaby," she remarked, nudging him deliberately as she picked up her pace and moved ahead of him.

Shikamaru rolled his eyes and easily caught up with her, making sure that she could hear what he was muttering to himself as he did. This sparked an argument and they made their way to the restaurant, bickering loudly and thoroughly enjoying every minute of it. And here she'd planned to give him the silent treatment!

On their way, they passed a plant bearing small, white flowers. It caught Temari's eye because she had seen it before - it was a plant that grew in the greenhouse in Suna, the only non-medicinal plant that they cultivated. She stopped and returned to it, picking one of the little, white flowers and stuck it behind her ear.

Temari wasn't really one for flowers but she remembered that when she'd asked about the plant and the medic-nins explained why they grew it, she'd liked the meaning of it. Now, as she fell back in stride and in (verbal) spar with Shikamaru, she tried to remember just what that meaning was.

It wasn't until they reached the restaurant and their argument finally ceased that it came back to her. The plant with the little, white flower that they had back home, meant just that - home.

**A/N: **Maybe Temari would leave, I dunno. This is just an alternative to that. Anyway I'd love to know what you think. Written for the LJ community - 30 flowers.


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